Pictures -- Manuevering is often difficult. Remember the boat is 70 feet long!All the boats on the canal are licensed to be there which allows them access to water and garbage disposal. System seems to work.
It rained all night (as far as I could tell; slept rather soundly) and was still raining hard in the morning and through much of the day. We started off at 9:35 and immediately encountered three locks in quick succession. Given the rain and chill, I didn’t feel the need to participate. Only another two locks, somewhat separated, and then a long stretch of 5 miles with no locks.
At one point we had a turn into a bridge/tunnel that was quite long and very narrow, only one boat width. One couldn’t see ahead to determine whether another boat was heading toward our boat.. Meeting in the middle would have required great boatmanship in order to back out a long distance. I think a traffic light of some sort would be a good idea. But I guess that wouldn’t be in accord with TRADITION.
We had to stop for water in late morning. There are water faucets installed along the canals (and noted on the canal maps) from which all boaters are free to fill their water tanks. We just had to wait our turn, haul out the hose, and fill up the two tanks. Actually, because others were waiting, Mike decided not to fill fully the second tank; will do that later. Trash was disposed of as well; those locations are also well known and used.
We stopped for lunch near the town of Rugeley. It wasn’t especially scenic but was near a large supermarket, and Gillian needed to buy a few supplies. I took the opportunity to walk a little and find a postbox for some postcards I’d written. Unfortunately I didn’t find a place to purchase any more since the rain provides a good reason to stay in and write. In wandering around the town, I found a coffee shop with free WiFi; unfortunately I hadn’t carried my mini-netbook along with me. Too bad; I’m feeling a bit e-mail deprived after 3½ days of no communication. It’s probably good for me. Certainly just reading, doing needlework, and relaxing is undoubtedly good for my psyche. And that’s about all one can do while cruising along – particularly when it’s chilly and rainy.
We arrived at our mooring spot at Great Heywood at 5:45 p.m. While it wasn’t actively raining, it was damp and chilly so I decided against a walk even though I need the exercise. I’m eating too much also. Weight Watchers would not be proud. However, I am on holiday. Dinner ended at 9:30, and I headed to my cabin to finish writing this and get to bed a little earlier (she says optimistically).
At one point we had a turn into a bridge/tunnel that was quite long and very narrow, only one boat width. One couldn’t see ahead to determine whether another boat was heading toward our boat.. Meeting in the middle would have required great boatmanship in order to back out a long distance. I think a traffic light of some sort would be a good idea. But I guess that wouldn’t be in accord with TRADITION.
We had to stop for water in late morning. There are water faucets installed along the canals (and noted on the canal maps) from which all boaters are free to fill their water tanks. We just had to wait our turn, haul out the hose, and fill up the two tanks. Actually, because others were waiting, Mike decided not to fill fully the second tank; will do that later. Trash was disposed of as well; those locations are also well known and used.
We stopped for lunch near the town of Rugeley. It wasn’t especially scenic but was near a large supermarket, and Gillian needed to buy a few supplies. I took the opportunity to walk a little and find a postbox for some postcards I’d written. Unfortunately I didn’t find a place to purchase any more since the rain provides a good reason to stay in and write. In wandering around the town, I found a coffee shop with free WiFi; unfortunately I hadn’t carried my mini-netbook along with me. Too bad; I’m feeling a bit e-mail deprived after 3½ days of no communication. It’s probably good for me. Certainly just reading, doing needlework, and relaxing is undoubtedly good for my psyche. And that’s about all one can do while cruising along – particularly when it’s chilly and rainy.
We arrived at our mooring spot at Great Heywood at 5:45 p.m. While it wasn’t actively raining, it was damp and chilly so I decided against a walk even though I need the exercise. I’m eating too much also. Weight Watchers would not be proud. However, I am on holiday. Dinner ended at 9:30, and I headed to my cabin to finish writing this and get to bed a little earlier (she says optimistically).
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